The cool night air gently blows against me, tickling the back of my neck. Darkness claims the land once more, its cloak covering up the affair I am about to partake in. A foreboding chill runs down my spine in that moment; tonight will be unpleasant, to say the least.
I told him to meet me here on this night. He should be here any minute now – it'll be approaching midnight, the perfect time to go unseen. I stand as patiently as I can on the path toward the palace gates, dressed in more casual attire as opposed to my usual daytime uniform. With my hands tucked neatly behind my back, I wait, practising a vague speech in my head. I doubt I'll even be able to get the right words out, however.
Soon, a dark figure appears in the distance, emerging from the gates. Thankfully, guard patrol is usually indoors at this hour, and switches to outdoors later. It's as easy as always to take some time away. But the mere thought of spending time with him now… makes my heart flutter with anxiety.
With my heart threatening to burst out my chest, I take in a shaky breath to steady myself. This had been doomed from the start, hadn't it?
His hooded figure gets closer to me, the outline of his hair tucked under it becoming more visible.
"Kai…" His name escapes me as a hushed, depressed whisper. I'm sure he can hear it.
The first thing he does is yank his hood down and pull me into a tight hug without any sort of warning, wrapping me in his warm embrace – the chilly air surrounding us practically dissipating.
I tightly screw my eyes shut, melting into his touch, knowing what awaits the two of us. I return his hug with all of the passion within me, knowing very well it'll be our last.
"Gaku, I'm so sorry," he sighs against my ear. Somehow, his grip on me becomes stronger than it already is, squeezing the air right out of me. But I don't mind.
"It… was only a matter of time…" I want to stay strong. Yet the crushing reality has already corrupted my mind, fogging it up with bitter pessimism.
He pulls back, but still holds me close. The soft rays of moonlight make it easy to see something sparkling in his gorgeous, deep blue eyes. We're so close to one another that I can see every little feature of his. "Why couldn't they have just accepted us…?" That question barely croaks out.
I chew on my lower lip, snaking one hand down his back to support his waist, while lifting the other to stroke at his cheek. He immediately leans into my touch, tilting his head and parting his lips to release a tiny whimper. "I wish I knew." Is that really all the support I can offer?
A hot tear rolls down my thumb where my palm rests on his soft face. "I-I… I can't…" he hiccups, eyes slipping shut. "Can't be without you…"
My chest tightens. This is far harder than I ever suspected it would be. Feels like my heart has shattered into a bunch of tiny pieces already. I let out a quiet, pathetic half-laugh and press my forehead to his. As I wipe away some of his tears, I have to resist the urge to cry myself. "I know, Kai. I know…"
Being in his arms, so intimately like this will make it that much more difficult to move on later. But how can I not hold him close and comfort him?
Sniffling, my precious prince Kaito looks at me with watery eyes. "I don't know how they found out," he sighs. "But like you said… a matter of time, right…?"
Unfortunately so. Fate had drawn Kaito to me, and now it was cruelly tearing us apart in a little under a year. How unfair. "I really do not want to let you go," I mutter. The aching within me worsens all over again. I can't imagine how he must be feeling in comparison – he's always been a little fragile ball of emotions, my poor baby.
"W-We could… r-run away, couldn't we…?"
I widen my eyes at that irrational, absurd suggestion. I can't lie, it's tempting. But running away with nowhere to hide would be reckless. I gently reject his offer. "We can't, Kai. Everyone in Wispia knows your face – where would we go?"
He sniffs again, lip quivering. "The guardian of realms… She could help us find somewhere new…" He's really thought about this more than once, hasn't he?
Still… "She wouldn't dare to help us," I laugh, but not to mock him – it's more out of surprise. "She serves the Seiun family."
Defeated, his head droops. "I cannot live like this. Not without… you…" He's on the verge of bursting into tears again.
With a light sigh, I trace my thumb down from his cheek to his chin, curling my forefinger under and tilting his head back up to lock our gazes. "Two years. All we need to do is survive for two more years, and then you'll be free to do whatever you desire." That's our best option. When he turns eighteen, he won't need to do everything his father demands of him any more.
A weak chuckle passes his lips. "Two whole years, huh…?" His words descend into bitterness, and with a cold snort he untangles himself from our embrace, taking a step back.
"Kai…" Something stings the corners of my eyes when his warmth escapes me. It takes a moment longer than it should to register the fact he's no longer close to me, and that I need to lower my arms back into a static position.
Averting his eyes, he holds himself, shielding his body from the now harsh night air. "We should keep our distance now," he mumbles.
I know he's not directly mad at me, but it still hurts beyond belief. I stand there, stunned, at a loss for words. I'm not sure if I should walk away now, or…
"Gaku. Remember our talks about reincarnation?"
Of course. Those memories are going to haunt me every single day until I can be back at his side again. I nod, allowing him to continue.
"There's a high probability that my father won't let me see you again, even after I've turned eighteen… So…" His breathing becomes short and shallow, as if he's fighting off the urge to break down once more.
"So… so you're just going to accept that…?" I clench a fist at my side, and as much as I don't want to get all worked up, it's becoming increasingly difficult. The cold wind taunts me, sending a chill down my spine.
"So, we'll save our romance for the next life… Okay?" Finally, he answers me, and it's the last thing I wanted to hear. In such a calm tone, too.
I shake my head, unable to understand. No, I do understand. I just don't know why he's so reliant on such an idealistic fairytale. "You'd rather take orders and be a good little monarch your entire life, miserable and rotting away in that palace? Throwing away all your opportunities to be happy in this life, all because you seriously believe that the 'next one' will be better? Why?" My voice raises on its own, nails digging into my palm as I practically beg him to explain himself to me.
Despite my growing irritation, he's as soft and reserved as ever. He's resigned himself to his fate, even though literally nothing has been set in stone yet. "Do you have a better idea?"
It's a simple question. But in my messed up state of mind, it's more like a challenge. Sneering at me, waiting for me to conjure up some miraculous resolution to all this. "Nngh…!"
There's a splitting headache coming on. I grit my teeth together, frantically shaking my head. Why can't there just be an easy answer to this?
"Of course not, but that doesn't mean I'm going to resort to fantasy! I wish we could've been born in a time of acceptance, in a time where there are no power imbalances between us, but we can't waste this life of ours on a distant dream, waiting for the 'what ifs' to happen!" Without really realising, tears are already streaming down my face. I can only feel a warm trickle on my cheeks. "Why can't you fight against them?"
Kaito tuts, letting out a heavy huff. It's clear he's trying not to get too invested in his anguish. Good for him, really shows how willing he is to fight for me. I can't believe this. "It's as you said. We have nowhere to run, nowhere we can hide and be together. If I take even one step out of line, he can and he will lock me in the palace for the rest of my life. Even the most progressive areas of Wispia will refuse to acknowledge you and I publicly, they will not take us seriously, so what makes you think King Seiun of all people will change his opinion of us the day I turn eighteen? That he'll allow me to do as I please?"
By the time he's done, he's panting heavily, glaring at me as if I'm some sort of monster for being unable to wrap my head around his ridiculous logic. Maybe I am just careless and I don't truly know what his parents are like – that shouldn't matter, though, should it? Everyone has an option to fight. Insides burning, I churn my heartache into venom. There's only one possible conclusion to come to after all, right?
"I get it. And I can summarise perfectly. I'm not worth fighting for, is what you're saying," I growl in a low, raspy voice. My throat feels like it's on fire since I've been forcing myself to not cry any more, and my nose is tingling.
"What…?" He's dazed, caught completely off guard. His face flicks between confusion and then anger, something I've never seen from him before. "Did you hear a single word I said…? I'm bearing the brunt of this so you can live a happy life without me! You aren't the one who will have to face repercussions for eternity because of this, I am!"
He unleashes his full wrath at me, which indeed knocks me back a peg or two. I reel back, pulling my arms close to my chest. No… No, he has to be lying… He's just too afraid to go against his family. He has influence and power, I refuse to believe that he can't do anything to save our relationship…!
While my head spins, he continues to lash out.
"My only choice is to foolishly hope that we'll have a second chance in another life, where we can be normal, and happy, and yet you're writing it off as if I'm insane – that I'm willingly choosing not to fight for us? I'm doing this because I don't want you to suffer like I will! I… I thought you, of all people, would understand me… That you'd agree, and wait for the next life with me, as hard as it will be… So, please…! Tell me! Why would you even think I wouldn't fight for you if I could?!" He demands a reasonable response from me.
Damn it… This is hopeless. At our very cores, Kaito and I are fundamentally completely different people, with different ideals and it's futile to keep arguing. If only I had known this sooner. He'd rather sit and wait around for his next life, which doesn't exist, for goodness' sake. I'd rather fight. He doesn't want to do the bare minimum for me, so why on Wispia I thought our relationship would ever work out is beyond me.
Finally, the storm within me clears. I take a good look at the future King of Wispia who's standing a few paces opposite me. And to think, I truly had it in my head we were… soulmates… The unbearable urge to break down in tears has subsided. Admittedly, a tiny part of me wants to grab him and apologise. But I can't give in. I know I'm in the right.
"Well?" He impatiently pokes at me to say something. Silence has been hanging between us for a good few moments.
"If reincarnation exists, our relationship wouldn't even work out a second time. Goodbye, Prince Seiun." Without waiting for any kind of reply, I swiftly turn on my heels and head toward the vast fields stretched out in front of me, hoping to find somewhere to lose myself in thought until the sun comes up.
…
When I come to, my brows twitch. Where… am I again…? In my personal quarters, or…
"That monster was undoubtedly a product of the past…"
Some stifled whispers seem to be coming from the far end of the room. It's Xingchen's voice. Of course… I'm in the underground library with the others. My head is swamped with a fuzzy mix of memories; it's hard to differentiate between then and now. That encounter which I thought to be buried and long forgotten in the depths of my mind suddenly resurfacing sure isn't helpful, either.
"Who knows how many more they planted in the palace…? We have to make a breakthrough in our searches sooner rather than later…" Merli is struggling to keep her voice down, urgency seeping through her strained hissing.
They must think everyone is fast asleep. I lightly shuffle over onto my side, deciding to pretend I'm still out cold. Ugh. I don't think I'll be able to get back to sleep even if I want to, anyway. My clothes are stuck to my skin under these massive blankets, hands all clammy, and there's a wet sensation on my cheeks. Can't tell if that's also sweat, or tears I shed whilst dreaming.
I do my best to drown out the group of girls whispering amongst themselves. Once I have the energy, I'll go out on another search and 'conveniently' stumble upon long lost weapons of the past. I just hope they're still there.
With my back turned to the girls, I slowly peel my eyes open. Gumi is a few inches away from me, resting peacefully. How funny. If reincarnation really didn't exist like I once adamantly believed, she and I might have had a chance together. If things were normal, and our only shot at life was this one. My feelings for her haven't changed one bit… But how can I ask her to be my girlfriend now, when Kaito is right here across the room? How can I leave him behind again?
Our relationship wouldn't even work out a second time…
Pulling a hand out from under the blankets, I run my palm over my sticky forehead with a sigh. I brush aside strands of hair that had been stuck in place, wondering to myself how I could've been such a moron.
The most annoying part is that those words of mine, hurtful as they are, turned out to be mostly true. If Kaito remembers, he'll hate me. Even if he never remembers, he'll still hate me. I should never have walked away from him on that night. What the fuck went through my head back then? Right… As I've proven time and time again in this life, I'm a stubborn, inconsiderate ass. Nothing's changed. So much for character development.
I guess… the best thing I can do… is let him go?
I let out a light huff in irritation, pulling the blankets over my head. No, that won't do. I'm the one who freaked out on him for refusing to fight for us. It'd be the peak of hypocrisy to also give in this time around. We have a second chance, even though we set off on the wrong foot.
Besides… I knew from the moment we met in this life, he was special. Something attracted me to him, and now I know why. I tried to hide from it, and I made some downright stupid decisions in the process. But now I have to do the right thing, for once in my life. I'm just not sure how to go about it. Our friendship, never mind relationship, is non-existent.
Either way… I will succeed. No matter how much Kaito believes us destined to be rivals forever. I can't let him go or give up on him.
…
[Kaito Shion's POV]
The uncomfortable sensation of overheating brings me back to my senses. "Mmh…" I mumble softly, forehead creasing in concern. Something doesn't feel right. There's a strong sense of uneasiness crushing my chest right now, and the crackles of the fire only makes me ache more. I can tell I've had a bad dream. But I'm not so sure about the contents. Hah. I am honestly not surprised in the slightest that I can't think straight after so much shit.
"Ah…! Kaito-kun!" Miku's yelp of delight snaps me out of thought.
Dead.
Huh…? Something flashes in my mind, for a split second. But it's gone before I can make sense of it. Her joyous tone causes my stomach to lurch.
I screw my eyes shut a bit tighter, not wanting to face her or anyone else in this confused state of mine. Am I losing it? It's natural to feel like my mind has sort of… shut down, after all I've experienced, right…? It's completely normal to imagine horrific things after all the stress of earlier, right? Just what kind of nightmare did I have…?
"Kaito-kun… Come on, sleepyhead…" She giggles, all bubbly like usual. How does she do it?
Unexpectedly, I feel the tip of a finger being prodded against my cheek. "Mmm…" I grumble. Looks like I don't have a choice. Just gotta push it all to the dark, dusty corners of my fucked up mind. Reluctantly, my eyelids flick open and I'm greeted by the blessed sight of my girlfriend leaning over me, all bright-eyed and adorable. And here I am, probably looking like a zombie, all worn out and defeated. Hope it's not too scary of a sight.
She straightens up once our gazes meet. "How are you feeling?"
"Heh…" I dryly chuckle, sitting up beside her and rubbing at my eyes. "I'm sure you can tell just by looking at me…" I roll my head from side to side, getting those much needed pops and stretches.
Miku bites back her laughter, but the subtle creases at the corners of her mouth are something she can't hide from me that easily. "Kind of…"
Usually, her presence alone would be enough to soothe my troubled soul… But right now, it makes me feel sick. Maybe part of the reason I feel this way… is also because I've betrayed her trust. I've been unfaithful. It's completely unlike me to be such a scumbag. Why did everything have to change the minute I crossed paths with… Ugh. So much dread is looming over me, it's like I'm slowly suffocating.
Without thinking, I flick my glance around the library. Una is safe and fast asleep, slumped against Xingchen near the back. Xingchen herself has her eyes lightly shut, sitting upright, almost in a guard dog sort of position. Merli and Aoki are out cold beside them. Rin, Neru and Dell are awake, each looking off in some random direction, not particularly bothered that I'm still alive or anything. Wow. Lovely. Then again, they've probably seen some messed up stuff, too.
Finally, my slow trailing glance stops, landing on a pile of empty blankets across from where Miku and I are. Gumi and Gakupo should be there, but they aren't.
Well, that's good. He needs to get his act together and focus on her already. That way, I can move on and hopefully salvage things with my own girlfriend. I guess at the very least, I should show some concern and ask what they're up to. "Did those two go out on another search or something…?"
"Mmh… I think they had some things to discuss, too," Miku nods, answering kind of vaguely. However, before I can ask more, she swiftly changes the topic. "Are you hungry, Kaito-kun?"
"Uh…" Well, I was earlier. Right now, though, I think my body would reject anything I try to put down. Sheepishly, I shake my head, fighting off the urge to grimace. That nightmare's killed my appetite.
Oh, wait, that's right… Now that my head is clearing a little… That weird hidden tunnel had some fresh food stored away, didn't it…?
I run the back of my palm over my sweating forehead, with a sigh. "Did you find anything else down there?" Aside from the gruesome mess I caused that's slowly coming back to me… Fuck, just how have things become this bad? Seriously?
"No, just some fruit," Miku says, lightly smiling.
"Speaking of, what the fuck was that thing laying beside you down there?!" Neru abruptly cuts in, demanding an explanation out of nowhere, a little too loudly.
"Huh…!" Xingchen sharply inhales over on the other side of the room, jolting upright, her peaceful nap now disturbed.
"Shhh!" Dell scolds the blonde, with a scowl.
Geez…
"S-Sorry!" She throws her hands up apologetically, plastering on a wide grin.
Xingchen releases a shaky breath, folding her arms over her chest and then allowing her eyes to slowly slip shut once more.
"Wait, so you saw all that?" I ask a moment later, at a softer volume. It's not like I can remember every single detail of that, other than…
"Neru-chan and Dell-kun actually helped to get you out of there…" Miku replies, a hint of awkwardness slipping through those words.
"Gakupo-san, too," Dell casually adds.
I freeze on the spot, eyes widening slightly.
"Ahh… I thought we agreed to omit that part for now…" Rin pipes up, with a nervous laugh.
"Oops…" He gulps.
"Dude!" Now it's Neru's turn to tell him off.
"Wait, what?" I interrupt their bickering, trying to wrap my head around all of this nonsense. First of all, why are they hiding shit from me? Secondly – they thought it was a good idea to let the guy I hate tag along on the supposed rescue mission?! Alright, maybe 'hate' is a strong word, but… This is all so dizzying and mind-numbing that I feel like I'm gonna throw up. Again.
Ugh, and now a splitting headache is starting to come on. "Actually, never mind. Don't answer that." I change my mind a quick second later, deciding it's best to drop it for now.
"R-Right! The important thing is that you're safe!" Miku seems to pick up on my frustration, and hurries to shift the conversation along in a different direction. She clasps her hands together, that sweet smile of hers cracking a little.
"Uh… Sorry, man…" Dell rubs at the back of his head, and while it's clear he's talking to me, he averts his glance off to the side.
My chest feels like it's growing all tight… We have a lot of shit to sort out, if we ever get out of this strange world of Wispia. I can't stand being on weird terms with the people who should be my best friends.
"Anyway, I…" I clear my throat, shaking off the tense atmosphere best I can. "I have no idea what that thing was. We were exploring the area, and it just came at us out of nowhere… I tried my best to defend Una-san, and… Well, she got away, but… I thought I knocked that thing out, but I was wrong, and careless, and too slow, so I had to… I… I mean, I… I didn't want to…"
My hand idly moves up on its own as I attempt to explain, fingertips brushing against the side of my neck… All I'm doing is stringing together a bunch of incoherent, incomplete crap. It's like I've forgotten how to speak. In the end, it trails off into nothing. It's impossible to make sense of the mess in my head – impossible to get the right words out.
With a heavy, irritated huff, I give up on my pathetic stammering. "I just don't know, okay? Sorry."
Miku gently squeezes my shoulder in support. "I don't think Kaito-kun is in the best state to talk about this right now," she firmly says.
"I was just worried there might be more of 'em," Neru pouts, lifting a hand to rest her cheek against her palm.
"I… I'm sure it'll be fine," Rin responds, in a reassuring manner. Although, it doesn't sound incredibly convincing. "Once we're rested up, we can go out on some more searches. We're bound to stumble across something eventually."
Funny. I'm exhausted, limbs aching and pleading for more rest. Yet I know the second I try to shut my eyes, I'll be plagued by weird, twisted nightmares all over again. No chance of me being 'rested up' for a while.
"Gotta say, I like the optimism, Rin-san," Dell snorts. I think that's a compliment.
She offers a simple shrug. "That's all we have right now…"
Just as I get a little more comfortable, wanting to forget about pretty much everything, and just sink into the warmth of the blankets, a voice calls out from behind.
"You guys will not believe what Gakupo-kun and I have found!"
"Ah…!" I suck in a breath, slightly startled. I will never get used to the others popping in and out of here, no matter how long we're stuck here. I'm already on high alert as it is, as well. However, the initial shock is soon replaced with curiosity once her announcement really sinks in.
I turn my head to see Gumi only just squeezing through the gap at the end of that cramped tunnel. She's simply filled to the brim with genuine excitement and hope. Even though she mentions Gakupo, he's nowhere to be seen.
"Oh… Sorry for shouting… I didn't realise some of you were still asleep," she says, flashing a grin. Still, she holds her hands behind her back, practically bouncing up and down on the spot.
"It's fine," comes Xingchen's croaky, weary voice. Oh… Looks like she couldn't get back to sleep after being so rudely disturbed. "What is it, Gumi-san?"
"I-… Aha, it's kind of difficult to explain actually, now that I think about it…" The green-haired girl rubs at her cheek with a finger, letting loose a dry laugh.
Xingchen wears her usual, deadpan look. Contemplating those words for a moment, she sighs softly. "Alright… We'll all go check this out."
"Shouldn't we let the others get some rest first?" Dell raises a good point.
"This is important – isn't it, Gumi-san?" She raises a brow.
Gumi pauses for a moment. "Uh… it… could be?"
"Then it's settled." Deciding for the group, Xingchen gently pushes against her sleeping friend's shoulder. "Una-san…"
"Sooo… Is it like, our ticket out of here or something?" I jokingly inquire, playing up the importance with an obvious smirk. I need some semblance of normality here, after all. Anything to ignore the depressing crap floating around in my head. Anyway, I mean, there's no way we could just conveniently stumble across something so major so early, right?
But then Gumi meets my smirk with serious, unsure eyes… Huh.
…
Now that I'm back out in the freezing cold, part of me misses the warm comfort of the underground library, stifling as it is and sweaty as it makes me. With a bitter, exaggerated pout, I hug myself tightly as Gumi leads us all the way to the top floor of this mysterious palace.
I have to admit, this place is rather deceiving when it comes to appearance. From the main entrance, it only looks like there's a few floors, but this uh, 'grand tour' takes us through a set of doors on the fake final floor, which has apparently been hiding a whole other staircase behind them.
This one, however, is more of a compact spiral – I have to convince myself not to look down so that my already spinning, pounding head doesn't get any worse.
"Just… how high up is this discovery of yours…?" Neru asks from a few steps below Miku and I, huffing heavily between short pauses, like she's out of breath already. Geez, I'm the seriously exhausted and injured one here, and even I'm not this bent out of shape. Sure, it stings the legs a little, but still.
"One more flight to go!" She cheerily responds. Wow. She sure has changed her tune. Not complaining or anything, of course. This is at least a positive step in the right direction. Also… This must be real good if she's not even bothered by the ungodly amount of stairs here.
Una lets out a little yawn. "I need waaay more sleep after this…" she mumbles.
"Sorry," Xingchen utters, and she almost sounds a little… embarrassed. Hmm.
Eventually we reach the top, and now that we've come to a halt in a small, cramped entryway, I'm only just starting to feel a little out of breath. At least going back down should be easier…
This is kind of ridiculous, though. Only Gumi, Miku and I can really fit into the limited landing space in front of the door here; the others are rather awkwardly hanging back on the stairs, waiting for us to go ahead.
"Alright, here we are," Gumi announces, with a small smile.
She pushes the door open to reveal a dim, barely-lit room – harsh, natural light from the stairwell floods in through the crack as she does so, highlighting lines of gold across a white marble floor, and outshining what appear to be softly-glowing lanterns built into the centre of pillars that support a tall ceiling.
"Holy…!" When we take a few steps in, to allow the others to follow after, Neru's gasp of shock and awe echoes throughout. And when the rest of the group catches up, there are quiet murmurs and whispers amongst themselves.
The room itself is impeccable; not a speck of dust to be seen resting on any of the shelves that line the walls. In fact, not even on the magnificent, ancient-looking pottery that's occupying them. And for some reason, the more I take in of my surroundings, astonished that Gumi even managed to find something like this tucked away up here… I find that something about it feels… warm and pleasant. Almost as if… as if I have a personal connection to the many items in here. But how is that even possible?
"Oh…! Gumi-chan, you… brought everyone…"
Gakupo speaks up, making us aware of his presence. Oh. Of course, he had to be in here somewhere, after all.
He's on the other end of the room – which is actually almost the same size as the underground library, not too jaw-dropping or large – bent over on one knee and apparently examining… something up close. With the way he's positioned, whatever it is, is obscured by his body.
However, when he notices literally all of us are here, he straightens up and turns to face us.
"You said it was fine for me to get the others, didn't you?" Gumi huffs, in a playful manner.
"Well, yeah, but I don't think it's important enough that everybody had to tag along," he frowns, folding arms over his chest.
"This place…" Xingchen seems to be lost in her own little world, pushing her way through us from behind to get a better look at everything. Curiosity must've overwhelmed her. She turns her head slowly from left to right, before heading over to a bookcase fixed into an eastern wall to explore further.
"I can't believe something like this is still standing, after… who knows how long?" Miku sighs, a little dreamily.
"Tell me about it," I dryly chuckle. I really do wonder how a place like this has stayed preserved for so long. Magic just has to be involved. But how, and why…? Ugh. All this mystery and lack of answers is frustrating.
A moment later, Una trails after Xingchen, sorta like an excited puppy. "Isn't this wonderful, Xingchen?" she muses, with a bright grin. These girls are certainly in their element right now.
But… "Hey, aren't we here to see what Gumi-san found?" Yes, I'm leaving someone out on purpose. Don't care if it had been a team effort.
"We'll check it in a minute," Merli answers in place of Xingchen, all casual, like suddenly the smaller discoveries are more important than what we came here for.
Well, whatever, it's not like it's going anywhere… And not like we expected there to be other fascinating things in here, anyway.
Neru and Dell step forward, after Merli and Aoki clear the way to do their own searching on the western side, near the shelves and lanterns. However, Rin hangs back a step, scanning the room and every little detail with her eyes.
"I kinda wanna see it now…" Dell says, a hint of whiny impatience in his voice. Ah, just like old times.
Hmm. Well, the girls do seem pretty busy with other stuff now… Xingchen and Una are talking and sifting through what appear to be a collection of scrolls – or rather, Una is talking and giggling away into Xingchen's ear, while the latter carefully examines the contents. Then there's Merli and Aoki, checking out the fancy-looking pottery – or… well… Aoki being bold and picking them up with her bare hands, and Merli whispering something inaudible with an irritated expression.
With a shrug, I figure it can't hurt to take a peek before they're done. "Well? You wanna show us what you're hiding there?" I direct that question toward Gakupo, mustering up the most neutral, nonchalant tone I can manage.
Yeah, I know I'm trying to avoid interacting with him as much as possible, but… Well, it's better if we can be on minimal speaking terms without wanting to rip each other's throats out. I don't want the others to suspect anything, either.
A warm hand finds it way to mine, wrapping around my cold fingers. I don't even have to look to know it's my girlfriend, immediately calming the frustration burning up in my chest.
"Uh… Yeah, sure." He seems to be thrown off guard, blinking a few times before agreeing.
"Sweet! This better be good!" Neru exclaims, all giddy, being the first to head toward where the two stand.
I turn to glance at Rin, who's actually still staring around with… almost eerie, blank eyes. Expressionless. "Uh…?"
Miku tugs on my hand, urging me to follow after Dell and Neru, but I find myself unable to just shake it off and move along. I'm frozen on the spot, concern washing over me.
"Rin-san?" Her name escapes me with some hesitance.
"Hmm…?" It doesn't take Miku long to realise something is going on. I see her spin back round in my peripheral vision, rather than going ahead.
But my eyes are glued to the statue-like figure of Rin. Can she not hear me or something? What the hell is up with her…? That's when I notice she's not staring off in some random direction. It's like she's laser-focused on a specific thing straight ahead.
"Woaaaah!" Neru and Dell are already engrossed in Gumi's discovery. They're one-hundred percent oblivious to what's happening just a few steps behind them. Geez…
"Kaito-kun, is… is she alright…?" Miku softly whispers to me, as if she doesn't want the girl in question to accidentally hear and get offended.
This… can't be the mind control again, can it? No, it can't be. Otherwise Xingchen and her friends' necklaces would be glowing right about now. Untangling my hand from Miku's just for now, I reach out and slap a palm onto Rin's shoulder, repeating her name a bit louder this time, worry seeping through.
"...Ah!" A jolt of fright surges through her body, a sharp exhale passing her lips, like I just suddenly woke her up from a dream.
I reel back, pulling my hand away, expression twisting into one of confusion. "Are you… uh…?" I notice that cold, almost dead stare of hers is long gone. Like it hadn't been there in the first place. The hell?
"Sorry, I got lost in thought for a moment!"
I flick a glance over at Miku, who sort of mimics my own movements, recoiling and pulling her arms up to her chest, looking utterly bewildered and troubled. She remains silent, though. "Ah… You were just totally zoned out… I was a bit worried," I say, downplaying how serious it seemed. Not to mention kind of creepy.
"I was just, uh…" Rin narrows her eyes, trailing off to think of an explanation. A moment later, she lets out a sheepish giggle, rubbing the back of her head and ruffling her hair a bit. "Thinking about how much my brother would love to see something like this." With her free arm, she gestures widely at our surroundings.
I… guess that makes sense. Fuck, it still looked like she was possessed for a minute there, though. With a sigh, I decide to accept it for now. This place does make us act unlike ourselves, after all. I link my fingers through Miku's again, offering a small smile to Rin.
"R-Right…" My girlfriend lightly coughs. She doesn't buy it, does she? Well, she does scare a bit too easily. No big deal. I hope.
"I'm… gonna check out the books over there…" Rin mutters, pointing over to Una and Xingchen, with a disheartened grunt. Without waiting for an answer, she turns and skulks off.
Frowning slightly, I let her go. As creepy as that whole thing was… Now that I think a bit more on it, her mental health may be slipping. We'll have to take extra care of her from now on.
With a shake of my head, I press on. We finally approach the others, who are in the middle of discussion – presumably talking about these treasures that've been greatly hyped up. Although, they're kind of crowding around whatever it is they've found, so we're pretty much forced to stand behind them on our tiptoes.
"So, what have we got here?" Miku wonders, taking her hand from mine and peering over Neru's shoulder.
Seriously, the suspense is killing me here! Ugh, this is gonna hurt like a bitch… Sucking in a breath to prepare myself and minimise any potential pain, I stretch out my back and lift myself up on the tip of my toes best I can, and at last, I understand why Neru's initial reaction earlier was to simply freak out and nothing more.
I set eyes upon a rather sizeable chest, dark wood inlaid with more sparkling gold, cracked all the way open to show off a pile of… weapons? But nothing like the standard, plain old modern weapons that I know of purely due to TV shows and movies. No, these are… far more fantastic and alluring, bright colours and gems catching the glow of the lanterns. Swords and staffs, completely magical in nature – in fact, I'd probably see something similar to these in all that fantasy manga Miku is obsessed with.
Speaking of Miku; she's already squeezed herself in between Neru and Gumi, eyes lighting up in awe. She makes a grab for one of the staffs, appearing to be drawn to it all of a sudden. Like a magnet. "These are so pretty!"
"W-Wait, I'm not sure if we should touch-" Gakupo is incredibly delayed in his efforts to stop her, like he only just processed what she's doing, a second or so too late.
"Chill out, it's fine," Neru snorts, flopping a hand in dismissal at him.
Miku lets out an adorable giggle, totally smitten with the one she's swooped up. It's short and silver, with light pink gems running up the front of the base, and the supportive bridge between the base and a teardrop-shaped, darker pink gem is a white bow made out of some hard, unknown material. Painted metal, maybe? Whatever the heck it is, it really is gorgeous – elegant, even, befitting of someone as sweet as her.
Dell lets out a sigh, resting his hands on his hips. "I think Miku-chan has claimed one for herself already…"
"It suits her," Gumi echoes my thoughts, with a sincere grin. Sure is nice that she's not as sour and grumpy any more, honestly.
Miku reluctantly peers up from practically drooling over the staff, laughing all shyly. "I… I just really like the look of this one in particular…!"
"So… you just… happened to stumble across this, huh?" Awfully convenient, but I don't really mean to come off as too suspecting.
"This must've belonged to the royals or somethin'," Neru hums, tilting her head to the side and leaning in all close to the staff. "Y'think this is proof that magic is… well… not all bad?"
"Absolutely," comes Xingchen's kind of sudden, stern voice from behind.
When I turn to look over my shoulder, I see that she's gathered back up with the two sisters, and Rin. More importantly, the four necklaces are giving off a gentle, red glow in unison as they come closer.
One other thing I'm able to clearly see is Una clutching some scrolls of paper in her arms. Oh… They must've found something of use to us…?
"Woah…" Neru quietly gapes. At this point, it'll be a miracle if her jaw doesn't get stuck all wide like that.
Xingchen takes the forefront; the shining red reflects off the floor, bouncing back up to highlight the glint of anticipation in her eyes. "May I…?" It's clear she wants to get a good look at the weapons for herself. But right now, we're kind of blocking the way.
"Of course, of course." Dell answers, yanking the staring, stunned Neru aside a few paces, as the rest of us shuffle out of the way.
A sincere smile spreads across her face. "Thank you," she says, before kneeling to get on the chest's level, and beginning to search through it. The gem around her neck buzzes a little, but it's nowhere near as intense as it usually would be when it comes to all things magical.
"Oh, uh… Just be careful, there are some sharp blades in there…" Gakupo clears his throat amid the silence, offering a fair warning to the girl.
"I'm pretty sure she has eyes and can see that," Merli bluntly responds, with a tut. She and her friends are hanging back with Rin, and the quick-witted Merli in particular has her arms over her chest, sort of deadpan.
Damn it, I know I shouldn't laugh… But… I press my knuckles to my mouth, stifling a slight chuckle. I mean, what did that purple-headed idiot expect? I notice he's wearing a sour, defeated pout. Even he knows he shouldn't have said something so ridiculous.
Xingchen spends a few moments carefully sifting through the contents of the chest, plucking out each weapon from the pile, one by one, and placing them at her side. "Ah…!" A genuine gasp of delight escapes her. Has she… ever displayed an ounce of any positive emotion since we first met…? This is truly groundbreaking.
Miku glances down with curious eyes. She's standing closest to the girl, so she poses an innocent question. "Something in particular you're looking for?" That's cute. She's still clutching onto that wand. She's definitely claimed it as her own. I just hope it's not like, a grave sin to take such a precious thing.
Xingchen scoops up another small wand from the chest. It looks like she's almost reached the bottom of it, and now she's finally found… whatever it is she had hoped to set her sights on. Still waiting on an explanation here.
"Did you find them?" Lighting up, Una takes a step closer to her friend.
Hold on… Are we out of the loop here?
Since Xingchen is apparently just so preoccupied, along with Una who bounces over to her side, Merli grunts softly and speaks up on her behalf. "You see… We've known of this place and its mysteries for a while now."
Ah… That's right. Earlier, they had briefly explained to us that they've been in possession of these pendants for years… But up until a few weeks ago, they weren't entirely sure why. All they knew is that they had to put the gems to good use, and try to prevent disaster.
Aoki lowers her eyes to her necklace, clutching at the ruby with her forefinger and thumb. "A long while, actually," she says, correcting her sister with a breathy, teasing laugh. To these girls, it must be like the pieces of the puzzle are finally coming together. "Well, you guys kinda know how it went down. They first detected a burst of power at school, a few weeks ago. That was when we knew, the stories we'd been studying for years… weren't just stories or fairytales any more. The kingdom of Wispia turned out to be real."
It's a little chilling to really hear the full perspective. The girls must've been forced to grow up pretty fast once shit went down back home. I'm glad we're able to help ease the burden and accompany them in their journey.
"That's… intense," Gumi voices her thoughts, sounding perplexed. She trails her glance over the scattered weapons on the floor, beside the chest.
"Sorry. I was just making sure they were all here." Xingchen finally stands from where she's kneeling, twirling 'round and holding out quite the extravagant staff. Una watches, seeming to be bursting with excitement.
"Wooow…! That's even prettier than mine…!" Miku is now just as awestruck as Neru; the two of them gawk even harder. See, I figured Miku would be pretty invested in all of this, but… Neru? Tomboy, rough, absolutely not-girly Akita?
"I can't believe this! This is actually real?" The blonde exclaims, right on cue.
"This is such a good sign for us!" Rin clasps her palms together, appearing much brighter than earlier. I'm not sure why, but her words and the sparkle in her eye seems just a bit… off. It's a shame she doesn't want to open up about what's actually bothering her.
I turn my attention back to the staff, or… wand thing… Whatever she's holding.
Its base is slightly thinner than the one Miku holds, and silver; at the top of the base, just before it extends off into the main feature, rests a small set of white, angelic wings on the sides, and a dark, dusky blue star in between, stuck on the actual handle.
That's not even the best part, as impressive as that is on its own. Branching off from the top of the base is a hunk of silver shaped into a crescent moon, curving around one hell of a decent sized, pitch black onyx – what makes it appear even more hauntingly beautiful and powerful, and even intimidating, is the red glow of the girl's pendant wrapping around its surface, illuminating its hidden sparkles.
I'm at a loss for words as I scan over it for just a few moments, taking in each detail. There are even some mysterious symbols and graphics carved into part of the crescent. Like Neru said… Hard to believe this is our reality now.
Xingchen holds it close to her chest, eyelids fluttering shut momentarily. "When I found this pendant… I also found a book filled with gorgeous illustrations of weapons, ones which belonged to the royals and guards of Wispia. But… This wand…" She opens her eyes again, moving aside to reveal not just one identical to it, but three. Of course, they each have their own colour scheme, but these… They're a set…!
"They're connected to our pendants," Una continues for her friend, a big, warm smile plastered across her face.
"So… You were destined to come across not only these staffs, and not only your pendants…" Gakupo is the first to understand. "But each other."
For a moment, I swear he looks over at me, as he utters those words. My cheeks flush in an instant, but when I blink, he's focused intently on the four girls. Shit… Am I imagining dumb things again? Trust it to be this idiot who says something so utterly lame and sappy, yet something so heart-warming!
"Aww…" Aoki flashes a big, dopey grin. "He's right, you know. Ah, geez, I think I'm gonna tear up here…!" She sniffles, wrapping an arm around her sister at her side.
Merli averts her glance, a slight smile pulling at her lips.
"Not only just each other, either," Xingchen vaguely says, with a hearty chuckle.
"Oh…?" Dell raises a brow, wondering what she could mean. Same.
"We were destined to cross paths with all of you." She steps forward, clutching her wand tightly. "We thought it was just a coincidence that Merli-san, Aoki-san, Una-san and I found these pendants. That on a whim, we ended up being thrown into the whole 'saviours' of the world situation. But I realise now… It was no mere coincidence."
"Oh, I get it…!" Una nods along with her friend's little speech, catching on. "You guys must think it was a coincidence that you were thrown into this with us, too, right…?"
"Kinda," Gumi softly laughs, rubbing at the back of her head.
"But… Don't you see…? We were meant to do this! Together!" She balls her palms up into fists, passion simply oozing out from her.
She sounds so confident. So sure of herself. Maybe… Maybe there's some truth to what she's saying… It's still a bit hard to totally wrap my head around, but the more her words sink in, the more it makes sense. Are all of us… connected in ways we don't know why or how yet…?
Miku's glance catches mine. She offers me a beautiful smile, corners of her eyes crinkling as she does so. She's stood opposite me, beside Neru and Dell. If our bonds are deeper than I thought after all… I've kinda fucked up, haven't I?
"We may not have all the answers… Like, who these wands belonged to in the past, and why they were designed as a set to bring us together, but…" Xingchen narrows her eyes at the shining weapon, as if desperate to crack its secrets. Then, she lightly sighs, looking back up to us. "It doesn't matter just yet. We'll figure it out over time. Either way, what I do know is that we aren't meant to perish here."
"I sure hope not," I dryly laugh. I don't want to be the one to kill the mood with pessimism, but… Fancy as these things are, we're still kind of stuck if we're not sure how to use them to our advantage. And hey, it's not like I want to be the only one who has a problem with all this nice stuff. It's just… weird to adjust to.
"Basically, the cards are stacked in our favour, so that's a good start," Aoki speaks up, with a proud, light snicker. Ah, yes. A flawless summary.
"So… What have you got there, Una-san?" Dell ponders, his curiosity leading him to be the first to move the conversation forward.
I glance back at the scrolls that the girl is still diligently clutching in her arms. It's absurd… Paper as old as that should at the very least be somewhat yellowed, right? But it's in near pristine condition. I mean, I am just assuming how old the scrolls are, but my guess can't be too far off.
"Ahem! Well… Our books pertaining to all things Wispia briefly outlines the most common types of ancient scrolls that are kept in this palace." The blue-haired girl starts by clearing her throat, and immediately goes into a thesaurus state.
Uh… Those are a lot of big words that I never expected to hear coming from her mouth. Perhaps I really have underestimated her. My bad. I blink rapidly a few times, trying my best to process as much as I can, before she continues. Everyone else is focused on her explanation.
"But, well… This area here isn't mentioned in the book, as far as I'm aware. So these must be the more advanced scrolls which only few know of," she says, giving an unsure shrug.
"Huh… I see," Dell mumbles, seemingly a little perplexed.
"I take it they'll be harder for us to use then, right?" Miku asks, rubbing at the back of her head with a shy laugh.
"Umm… Well, you see, with these wands and our pendants… We should be able to tap into their power and see what they hold…" Una trails off. Oh, no. Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming?
Xingchen coughs lightly, finishing in her friend's place. "The only issue is… We can't read the ancient language written on these scrolls."
Oh. That is the first time I've heard her lacking confidence. First time for everything, right? Sadly, that's… not exactly a good thing…
"So… Wh-What's our next move?" Rin pipes up, the optimism in her tone wavering just a bit. Yeah, all of a sudden, I feel like our collective hope has been crushed…
"There's no need to worry," Xingchen says. She swiftly flips her lack of confidence on its head, regaining her typical leadership to lift our spirits. Eh, I dunno how to feel about all this, but the others will probably benefit from the morale boost. "We may not be escaping right this second, but give us some time to work something out with the scrolls. We can take them back down to our little library base and we'll intently experiment with them." She tilts her head, gesturing to Una, Merli and Aoki.
On cue, they nod together – Merli seems notably more determined out of the three, judging by the way she holds her head high.
"I'm just glad we have a possible way out of here, even if it's not immediate," Miku grins brightly. Ah, that's what I love about her… She'll be able to keep everyone at ease with her positivity. And while I'm still not entirely convinced, I should help her out with keeping spirits high.
"How about these other weapons?" Gakupo jumps in with a question of his own.
"Hmm…" Xingchen takes a moment to think it over, eyes narrowing slightly as she gazes into the open chest. As she loses herself in thought, silence falls. This is just a little uncomfortable… "Oh?" Out of nowhere, she apparently makes some sort of discovery. A tiny click noise echoes out, followed by a gasp of surprise from the girl.
Although she's kind of turned away from where I'm standing, it's easy enough to see – she presses her thumb against one of the gems in the centre of her wand, and shockingly, it's able to be pushed inward. And in that split second, with that one single action, the entire wand… shrinks…?!
"Woah!" Delayed by a couple seconds of disbelief, joint round of gasps and awe ring out. Even I can't help but let out a stunned, breathy laugh. Just like that, it's become the size of a trinket that could be hanging off a key-ring.
Her reflexes are sharp, I'll give her that – she catches it just in time in her palm. The shock is quick to roll off her. She spins back around with a giddy smile, holding her closed fist up to her chest. "I knew there was something odd about these weapons. Now we'll be able to safely take them back home with us, without raising suspicion!"
"Ehh…" I dryly chuckle. How convenient. Even back in the old days, they had stuff so… advanced.
"There should be a hidden gem somewhere on whichever you take, so… I'd say we should be geared up for the battles ahead. Take your pick," Xingchen says, ever so nonchalantly.
"Um…" Neru rubs at the side of her neck, uncertain.
Why do I feel like we'll be cursed if we steal ancient magical beings' belongings…?
I flick my glance over to Miku. Well, she's already taken hers, so I guess it's not that bad of an idea. She's currently focused intently on her own weapon, sticking her lips out into a pout as she tries to find the button to compact it. Hah… How could anyone curse someone as cute as Miku? One look and they'd probably forgive her for murder.
"Are you sure we should be taking these?" Gumi quietly asks, apprehensive – and rightly so. "They're… not exactly ours… I know we need to defend ourselves and be ready to fight, but…" Her words trail off, as it seems like she can't come up with a good enough reason.
"I can't help but agree," I sigh, propping my hands up onto my hips. I've just been silently assessing the situation, and it's fine if Xingchen and her friends take what they know belongs to them – but that's as far as it should go. "Xingchen, your pendants will be enough to fight and protect us with, right?"
"Hmm?" She raises a brow, looking directly at me. Uh oh, there's that scariness again… "Really? No one wants to pick out a weapon for themselves?"
Indeed, no one answers. I think all of us have come to a silent agreement that it isn't the best idea. Except for Miku of course, but I suppose she'll just have to be an exception. Darn her and her cuteness.
"It'll be fine, you guys," Aoki tuts, shaking her head. "We need all the power we can get, alright? And it's not like we're gonna be using them to physically stab people or whatever. These are weapons made to harness magic."
I can't help but grimace lightly at the blunt choice of words. That's not quite the problem here, but alright.
"We'll be taking them back either way," Merli shrugs, emotionless in the face of theft.
"Sure. But if we attract the wrath of some ghosts or some shit like that, just remember we tried to warn you, 'kay?" comes Dell's snarky response.
I bite down on my lower lip at that. Don't laugh, don't laugh, this is serious! But… man… Only Dell could come up with a weird consequence like that.
Dang… These girls with the pendants apparently have all the power to make decisions for the whole group now… They don't even say a single thing as they swipe up a bunch of weapons from the chest. Some curved blades, more staffs… One for each of us, I suppose.
It's not like I'd rather leave our group vulnerable, but at the same time, I don't want to attract any further danger to us. Guess it doesn't matter any more. As they collect the weapons and shrink them down, I let out a heavy sigh.
I suppose I shouldn't care too much about taking stuff that isn't ours. After all, we have to actually get off Wispia in the first place to even begin worrying about consequences. Hopefully we'll be out of here soon.